Richardstein
by Aetteews
Summary: The tragic story of one carefully crafted petpet and his descent into madness.


Sisnenis, the blue tailed Xweetok spent hours of her days reading, learning, and performing experiments. So, it was no surprise that at the young age of 774 hours after reading Petpet Biology she tried to make one of her own. She'd, from her own flesh samples, grown all the body parts and then stitched them together to make him. Just from the slab, the little guy was made from the finest of pet parts; she'd flushed with excitement as he breathed in his first few shallow breathes. She taught him how to read and write, they'd played games together all through the night and discuss books that they'd read. While she worked at the family café on Mystery Island, he'd help her by boiling hot water on the stove for customers and delivering tea to seated patrons.

The first few months of their friendship were glorious, they were very close and I'd never seen my little neopet so happy.

But you could see the deterioration of little flesh golem take its toll as time continued to pass. He may have been made from the finest parts but slowly those parts came to rot, she'd patched on new arms, an ear, a foot or two but finally it reached the most critical part of his being, his mind. It started to become obvious as he began to reclude from people.

One day while working the shop he'd refused to serve drinks to the patrons, "They hate me!" he exclaimed to her "ALL OF THEM!" his eyes welled up with tears. "There, there…" she said rubbing his back, "You know that's not true. They appreciate you very much! Rhiannon always insists that you bring her tea when she comes in and Miss Aeleniel always tips you! Some of them even bring toys for you now and again. Why would you think they hate you?" She pleaded with him her heart gave way for his pain, what was wrong? Had someone said something mean to him? She skimmed the events of the last few days for any kind of hint.

I… I just know. They do, I can feel it. I do. I know they do…" he muttered. "Did someone say something that made you feel this way? Is someone bulling you?" She implored him. He shook his head, "Just know… just know. Can feel it, in my bones! Please… please don't make me go out there with them! I can't… I can't handle it anymore!" He started crying. The door jangled as a new customer entered the café. "Go home… I won't force you to suffer though something that makes you feel so horrible." She said her eyes glazing over. Customers belated the scene to me later, they spoke of how she just wasn't herself with him gone.

Days pasted but he still had no interest in going to work with her. She read through her books fiercely for an answer, perhaps he was ill. Maybe she could find the cure! It had to be in a book somewhere! She cuddled with him and brought him home treats daily, but he reclude away even more. While people were home he'd hide about the house under sofas and chairs, in the pantry behind jars. I'd catch him while after we'd all been away huddled in Sisnenis room playing board games with her lab jelly plushies. Though eventually it seemed that even they were much company and he'd resorted to playing by himself. Sisnenis would spend her nights looking for him and trying to give him treats but he did nothing but hide from her.

One night after a long day of work I saw him stalking the hallways, muttering to himself: "Hate you… They hate you. All of them. Lousy neopets everywhere. Everywhere, there are neopets!" I followed him as he wandered up to Sisnenis bedroom.

Everywhere they hate you. Want to hurt you. Eat you. Laugh at you." He rummaged through her bookcase, muttering even more frantically now, he shoved books to the floor, broke their tender spines, and bent their fragile pages with no remorse. His voice began to break. There was an note of anguish, and then something that sound akin to pure hatred.

His voice dropped as he began to tremble. "They think you ugly. Evil. All evil. Faeries evil too. All evil, all hate you." He pulled out an Island Lighter and began to light one particular book on fire. I rushed in to stop him but already the pile of books had created a huge pyre of flames. He got eyes with me and cackled as he leapt out of the room. I ran into her bathroom and grabbed her white petpet bath tub filling it with as much water as I could as fast as possible, darting back to the room to wench the flames.

That evening when all my darling neopets made it home gathered them round the hearth a belated the tale of the day to them. "Richardstein isn't himself anymore. He's been stalking the house like a caged Kougra. Talking to himself under his breathe… today it hit a new level. I'd gotten home from work and I caught him in Sisnenis room. He burned many of her books before leaping out a vvindovv. He's gone mad, I don't know what we can do for him at this point." Aardben, my Pirate Lutari was enraged at what he heard, "How DARE that creature do anything to her! She's done nothing but love him… and now he turns around and does THIS?! I swear if I see that creature again I'll make sure it regrets the day it ever thought to hurt my sweet little sister!" he roared. I practically had to restrain him.

Sisnenis wept at my shoulder "If only there was a way I could fix him… I don't know what's happened." She curled up into a docile little ball in my hand. "If only there was a book, something to tell me what it could be…" She muttered. "Is there no way to fix him" she whimpered. "If there isn't a way, I can eat him?" Asked Bundevara "I've never had flesh golem before and I'm curious of what it tastes like." Sisnenis reeled up and hissed at Bundevara "How could you want to eat my precious baby? Would you eat Scruffy?! After all you two have been through?!" Bundevara looked at her quizzically, "Well if Scruffy tried to burn my house down and destroy my spice cupboard I'd certainly be up for making him into a stew." He pet Scruffy who began purring.

Sometimes I forget how much you love eating…" Sisnenis conceded. "I'll need one of you to stay home and watch the house the next couple days, see if he turns up. I'll also need one of you two boys to stick close to Sisnenis and make sure she's safe. If he tried anything dangerous I want you to do whatever it takes to keep him from hurting anyone." I said, petting my darling Xweetok. She was my poor baby and I hated to see her suffering as she was. She'd lost her best friend over the course of a week.

The next day he struck again, storming into the café in a rage. "You'll all burn you hate mongering scum!" The side of the building had caught fire and patrons were dashing out of the building. "Richardstein, NO!" She yelled at the top of her lungs. "Come here and I'll find out what's wrong with you, I'll fix you and you'll be okay again." Her voiced dropped to that of one purely of concern as she leaped down from the counter to him, but he lashed back. She flew into an unseated table across the room, blacking out. A good portion of the store was now aflame: Bundevara made a mad dash across the building as a chunk of the ceiling began to give way with the flames and scooped Sisnenis into his arms… just in the nick of time. He stumbled winded out the crumbling doorframe as the building collapses in a wreckage of flames. Sirens rounded the corner as firemen finally made it to the scene.

Bundevara carried Sisnenis back home to me. When she woke up she wept for her little petpet. She spent days in mourning; packing away all his favorite things, reading her books over and over again looking for any clue to what could've caused it. She swore she'd never replace him. I was just glad she was alive and free from harms way once more. It was hard seeing her mulling about the house, but I know it will take time for her heart to mend.

**To the various patrons of the Literacy Café:**

Thank you for your endless support and patience during this time. Your letters of condolenses have sinserely helped Sisnenis cope with her lose and I know she'll be back to see you all as soon as she's feeling better.


End file.
